Seal.



PATENTED APR. 1'7, 1906.

E. J. BROOKS.

SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.26.1905.

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srnrns ATlENT OFFllOlE.

SEAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

i'atentecl April 17, 1906.

Application filed August 26,1905. Serial No. 275,964.

T0 @ZZ whom, it may conoci/'n.-

Be it known that l, EDWARD J. BnooKs, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of East Orange, in the State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Seals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to those press-fastened seals in which a compressible seal part of suitable soft metal, hereinafter termed lead, serves to inseparably unite the ends of a flexible shackle when solidified and stamped by a suitable seal-press.

The resent invention relates more particularly to that form of such seals in which a `free-ended stud-pin at the face of the seal part coacts with eyes at both ends of the shackle to form an effective union between the seal part and shackle without threading either shackle end into and through the seal part. cation forming part of United States Letters Patent No. 611,889, dated October 11, 1898, and previous specifications therein referred to, particularly No. 294,576, which see. As set forth in said previous specifications, I have heretofore combined with the seal parts of such seals HeXible shackles of various kinds, including` sheet-metal shackles, as shown in said Letters Patent No. 294,576. Shackles of this kind are preferred by some users owing to theircheapness and their adaptation to carry upon their sides lettering and numbering, either or both, in sufficiently bold characters to adapt them to be easily identi'fied. A serious objection, however, to their use in seals having seal parts of lead has been the fact that it was possible by passing a knife between the shackle ends, as opposed sidewise to each other in the press-fastened seal, to cut into and. through the lead, and thus to open the seal without so marring it as to insure immediate detection. The same objection has heretofore militated against the use of the shackles of flat wire set forth in said specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 611,889.

The objects of the present invention are to prevent so opening a press-fastened seal of the kind hereinbefore indicated having a flat shackle, either of sheet metal or of flat wire, and thus to provide for the effective use of these kinds of shackle in such seals.

The invention consists in a fiexible flat Such seals are set forth in my specifishackle of novel construction in combination with a peculiarly-constructed seal part of lead, as hereinafter described and claimed.

A sheet of drawings accompanies this specification as part thereof.

Figures 1 and 2 are back and edge views of a flat shackle of sheet metal as it appears before it is attached to the seal part` Fig. 3 is a face view of the seal part as preliminarily fastened upon one shackle end at the factory. Fig. 4 is a face View of the improved seal ready for the seal-press. Fig. 5 is a like view of the press-fastened seal. Fig. 6 represents a section on the line A, Fig. enlarged one diameter. Fig. 7 represents a like enlarged. section on the line B, Fig. 4, and Fig. 8 represents a cross-section at C C, Fig. 11, on the same scale as Figs. 6 and 7 Like reference characters refer to like parts in all the Jiigures.

The blank of the flat shackle a is preferably sheared from asheet of suitable tin-plate (tin) or other sufliciently thin and flexible sheet metal. Both ends are then rounded and punched to form eyes 1 and 2 at the respective extremities of the shackle, and interlocking neck portions 3 and 4, adjoining said eyes, are formed by pressing the metal edgewise into U shapes in cross-section with the edges of the respective neck portions projecting from opposite sides of the straight shackle, so that when the shackle is properly bent the two neck portions 3 and 4 will interlock with each other, as in Fig. 8, and in close contact after the seal is pressed. The proper shackle end to be preliminarily fastened in the sealpart t, as in Figs. 3 and 6, is indicated by an indentation 5 in the metal.

The seal part b is molded as heretofore with a central stud-pin 6, surrounded by a chamber 7, open in front, within which one shackle eye l is made fast at the factory by an overlying flange 8, Figs. 6 and 7, formed by a hollow punch from the lead of the seal part, the adjoining neck portion 3, occupying the custornary embrasure or notch 9 in the body of the seal part, which forms a nearly circular outer wall 10 and is preferably and conveniently provided with gage-studs or Hhorns77 11., as heretofore.

The improved seal leaves the factory in the condition last described, as illustrated by Figs. 3 and 6, the shackle a having been further provided with any desired lettering,

IOO

numbers, or other distinguishing-marks, represented. by A. B. R. R. 46,785. These marks are preferably and conveniently repeated, so that they will appear on both sides of the fastened seal, Fig. 5, and may be cmbossed, as indicated in Fig. 1, or printed in any approved Way.

The free end of the shackle a is passed through a pair of car-lock staples c d or the like, and the second eye 2 and neck portion 4 are then interlocked with the pin 6 and notch 9, as in Figs. 4, 7, and 8, preparatory to applying a suitable seal-press. The pressfastening operation completes the interlocking of the neck portions 3 and 4 with each other, solidilies the lead around them and around the eyes l and 2, and stamps the lead with a station-number 300 or other pressmark, as illustrated by Fig. 5.

The shackle a may be made of l'lat Wire in the manner set forth in my specification, forming part of said Letters Patent No. 611,889, With the addition of interlocking neck portions, as above described, and other like modifications Will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described said improvement,

I claim as my invention and desire to patent under this specificationl. A flexible shackle of llat metal having its ends provided With eyes and with interlocking neck portions adjoining said eyes, in combination with a compressible seal part of lead having a stud-pin at its face adapted to be embraced. by said eyes and a Wall surrounding said stud-pin provided With a notch adapted to admit said neck portions and to support the same.

2. An improved seal composed of a flexible shackle of sheet metal having its ends provided With eyes and with laterallycompressed interlocking neck portions U-shaped in cross-section adjoining said eyes, and a compressible seal art of lead having a studpin at its face a apted to be embraced by said eyes and a Wall surrounding said studpin provided With a notch adapted to admit said neck portions and to support the same, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

EDWARD J. BROOKS.

Witnesses:

M. E. KANALEY, THEoDoRE D. GoTTLrEB. 

